


(Another) Dance

by hops



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Dancing, Drinking, IPRE Era, M/M, The Stolen Century, generally having a good ol time, implied unrequited lupcretia, taagnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 17:29:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11212809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hops/pseuds/hops
Summary: "Come on, let's show these chumps what real dancing looks like."Lup shows off. Taako buys a drink. Magnus falls.





	(Another) Dance

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11179479) by [legendofkuvira (jephaway)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jephaway/pseuds/legendofkuvira). 



> This is a continuation of "Dance" linked above! Read that one first!  
> This is sappy and I love Taagnus ok enjoy  
> HMU on tumblr @maegnus

"Come on, let's show these chumps what _real_ dancing looks like."  

Before Magnus can think to protest, Taako is pulling him up on his feet and to the door on the far side of the roof. He trails behind the smaller man as their footsteps echo in stairwell. Magnus can't help but notice Taako's defined shoulder-blades beneath the thin yellow straps of his dress, still wet and clinging to his skin. He really does look amazing tonight.  

But then again, he looks amazing every night.  

Taako busts through the door of the stairwell and into the alley, placing them just yards from the court where the celebration is taking place. Taako loops his arm through Magnus' larger one and smiles to himself.  

"Can I buy you a drink?" Taako offers, leading them towards the party, where another firework pops off and sends white and purple sparks flying overhead this time. The music is so loud that Magnus can just barely hear him.  

"No! I mean, uh, you don't have to do that!" Magnus stammers, feeling a blush creep up his neck. "Only if you want."  

Taako laughs, stopping to place a hand on Magnus' chest. "Take a deep breath, big guy. Is that a no?"  

Magnus sighs, frustrated with his nerves. "It's a yes."  

"Good." As they reach the end of the alleyway, Taako turns to him once more. "Wait here."  

Magnus surveys the party in the square around the fountain. Barry and Lup are leading another dance, with Merle and Davenport just trying to drunkenly keep up. Magnus can't remember the last time he'd seen them all so... happy. So free. They hadn't had this much fun together since that year on the beach. He combs the crowd for Lucretia and finds her sitting at a table with a glass of wine, sipping with one hand and writing intently with the other. Magnus rationalizes that she'd given up on trying to dance with Merle, despite his best efforts, and resigned herself to her writing instead of watching Lup dance with someone else. Silently, he wishes there was more he could do for his heartbroken friend.  

"Here we are," Taako sings, placing a huge flagon of ale into Magnus' hand, and sipping some kind of alcoholic slush in a tall plastic cup out of a crazy straw.  

"What is that?" Magnus says, sipping his ale. It's strong.  

Taako holds the end of the pink straw up to Magnus' mouth. "Strawberry daquiri, baby! Want some?"   

Magnus laughs. "I'm good, thanks."  

The two watch for a little while, Taako leaning against Magnus' arm as they both sip their drinks. The town dances with a thousand colors before their eyes as even more people join the celebration in the street, dancing together, drinking, laughing. For once, Magnus doesn't think about the Hunger or the inevitable end of this world at the end of the year. For once, Magnus doesn't worry about training, or Fisher back on the ship, or what's going to happen tomorrow. He just watches the party go on, sipping his drink, focused mostly on the pressure of Taako's body against him at his side. He sipped his ale some more, feeling loose. Maybe even ready for a dance.  

It's nice. Picture perfect, even.  

It's Taako that asks first, beating him to the punch as one song ends and another begins to play. "What do you say? Are we gonna show them how to dance, or what?" 

Magnus downs the rest of his ale. The rush of confidence it brings is astounding. Taako's eyes are glimmering in the light of the colorful paper lanterns and Magnus finds himself entranced. "Let's do this."  

Magnus leads him into the center and takes Taako's drink, placing it on an unoccupied edge of the fountain. He spins him around once, twice, watching his wet hair fly about from the momentum and his yellow dress billow in the wind they create. The music gets louder, the crowd is a dull roar, but all he can hear is Taako's laugh.  

"Hey, Lulu!" Taako calls as Magnus sweeps him into his arms. He's not the most graceful dancer, but what he lacks in form he makes up for in enthusiasm. "You ready to dance?"  

Lup looks up from her intricate dance with Barry to tease him back. "Oh, _hell_ yeah!"  

Taako, sensing Magnus' uncertainty on how to turn up the heat on the dancefloor, takes the lead. He spins himself out dramatically, then back in, wrapping himself in one of Magnus' arms. Magnus, thinking on his feet, dips Taako down and follows him so their noses touch.  

And the crowd goes nuts.  

When he comes back up, Taako moves them into a quicker pace. Magnus find's Merle's smiling eyes at a nearby table. Their friend raises his flagon to them both and, though Magnus can't hear him, laughs heartily. Some of the nearby townspeople had started clapping to the beat and clearing the way as Barry and Lup entered Magnus and Taako's space.  

"I don't think you know what you're getting into here, Maggie!" Lup teases as Barry spins her around. She reaches out and bops Magnus right on the nose.  

Taako yelps and points to Barry. "Hey, you have your own!"  

 _Your own what?_ Magnus thinks to himself as Taako pulls him into another go-around, his smaller hands enveloped in Magnus'. _Is he calling me his..?_  

Before he can finish the thought, Taako has them bounding to the side, dancing a circle around his twin and her boyfriend. Magnus throws his head back and laughs, catching Taako's eye as he looks back down. They share a glowing smile. 

Barry and Lup pick up their pace, separating to take turns showing off some individual moves before coming back together for a perfectly executed dip. The crowd cheers them on into what is likely a decisive victory. Taako and Magnus separate as the song comes to an end, both of them shiny with sweat, both of them beaming with proud smiles.  

"Damn, Burnsides! Where'd you learn to dance like that?"  

A slower song starts to play. They don't stop smiling. "I, uh, I was just following your lead."  

"A ballad. How very high school." Taako looks up as another firework pops in the sky. "Maybe... you could lead this time?"  

Magnus watches as Lup and Barry make their exit, pursued by a few admirers in the crowd.  He smiles at their partial privacy. "I can try."  

Magnus puts a hand on the small of Taako's waist and pulls him in conservatively as the music begins to swell. "Please, Mags," Taako laughs, just a little breathless this time. He brings his hips in close to Magnus' and looks up, chest-to-chest. "We can get cozy."  

The ale had been strong, but it's Taako making him dizzy. "Okay," is all he can come up with, looking down into his eyes.  

"You know, you work too hard." Taako says, looking around at Lucretia, Merle, and Davenport at their respective spots.  

"Huh?"  

Taako continues, "you're always... rushing. You should take some more time for yourself. For this."  

"For drinking and dancing with you?"  

Taako laughs at his dance partner's knowing smirk. "Mmmmmaybe?"  

They share yet another smile. Taako shifts against him as they step and sway to the music.  

Magnus, on the other hand, can't stop looking at that yellow dress. The damp hair hanging perfectly around his face and down his shoulder. As they move around the fountain, Taako swoops down with one hand and grabs his daquiri with a grin.  

"Want some?"  

This time Magnus obliges and takes a long sip from the crazy straw. It was too sweet for his tastes, but quite strong.  

He swallows and looks down at Taako, who's sipping but still looking intently up at him. "Hey..."  

"Hey, you."  

Magnus pauses, feeling a bit exposed. "You, uh... I meant what I said on the roof. That you look pretty."  

Taako moves closer, squeezing Magnus' hand in his own, smiling. "You're pretty handsome yourself, heartbreaker. Don't get too sappy on me now. We're not drunk enough for that."  

Magnus lets go of Taako's hand and uses it to tuck a damp strand of long, blonde hair behind his ear. As the sound of the crowd dulls away, so does the music, and suddenly all he can hear is his heart hammering in his eardrums.  

He takes Taako's hand back into his own and entwines their fingers. "You're beautiful," Magnus says softly, earnestly, despite his dance partner's warning. Taako's eyes go soft.  

"Thanks," he tries to say, but barely any sound leaves his mouth.  

They're so close together, Magnus can hardly breathe. He smells ale and strawberry and fountain water and sweat and something sweet and familiar. He wants to wrap himself in the feeling, in the slow music, in the warm breeze, in the yellow dress; he wants a fistful of his blonde hair, lip gloss just-smeared on his own mouth; he wants to taste strawberry as he's falling asleep; he wants his tired legs from dancing all night, a punch-drunk hangover, a bellyache from laughing so hard.  

Magnus realizes then, all at once, that he loves him.  

It's only the brush of Taako's nose against his own that brings him back to the present. He waits for Taako to say something witty, but he's silent. Their breath mixes sweetly, mouths almost touching. The song is ending but he doesn't care.  

Magnus kisses him.  

Gentle at first, then harder as he pulls him closer by the waist. He tastes like the sweet drink that has since fallen to the cobblestones beneath them. He gets his lip gloss, his blonde hair, his yellow dress, his strawberry mouth. Magnus melts into him. He reaches up and cradles Taako's chin.  

Fireworks.  

For once, Taako is speechless, but it only lasts a moment.  

"You're an even better kisser than you look, Magnus."  

Magnus flushes red under his sideburns.  

"Hey, you got a little--" Taako reaches up and wipes some lip gloss from the taller man's lower lip. They laugh together.  

"I don't mind," Magnus says, kissing him again.  

 


End file.
